Angolan children begin receiving protection against the world’s largest killer of young children as the country introduces the pneumococcal vaccine. The introduction marks a crucial moment for child health in a country that emerged from a quarter of a century of civil war just over a decade ago.

Sudan's introduction of rotavirus vaccine earlier this year signalled the start of a wave of African countries ready to counter the world's leading cause of diarrhoeal deaths with GAVI support. In September, the Alliance approved funding for 12 more African countries to introduce the rotavirus vaccine.